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Samiddhi

1. Samiddhi Thera.– He belonged to a householder’s family of Rājagaha. From the time of his birth his family prospered, and he himself was happy and good, hence his name. He was present at the meeting between the Buddha and Bimbisāra, and was so impressed thereby that he joined the Order. Once, while he was at the Tapodārāma musing on his good fortune as a monk, Māra tried to terrify him. Samiddhi told the Buddha of this, but the Buddha asked him to stay on where he was. He obeyed, and soon afterwards won Arahantship. He then declared his knowledge (aññā) in a verse (Thag.vs.46), and Māra retired discomfited. This episode is also given at S.i.119 f, but the place mentioned is not the Tapodārāma, but Silāvati.

In the past he met Siddhattha Buddha, to whom he gave some flowers with stalks, which he picked with the help of his bow and arrow. Fifty-one world-cycles ago he was a king named Jutindhara (ThagA.i.117 f). He is probably identical with Salalamāliya of the Apadāna (Ap.i.206).

Once when Samiddhi was drying himself after bathing in the Tapodā, a deva approached and questioned him on the Bhaddekaratta Sutta. Samiddhi confessed ignorance, and the deva asked him to learn it from the Buddha. This he did from a brief discourse taught him by the Buddha, which Mahā-Kaccāna later enlarged into the Mahā-Kaccāna Bhaddekaratta Sutta (q.v.) (M.iii.192 f). A conversation between Potaliputta and Samiddhi, three years after the latter had joined the Order, led to the teaching of the Mahākammavibhaṅga Sutta (q.v.) (M.iii.207). In the sutta the Buddha speaks of Samiddhi as a foolish man (moghapurisa), and Samiddhi is also teased by Potaliputta for pretending to expound the Dhamma after being only three years in the Order. According to the Aṅguttaranikāya Commentary (AA.ii.799), Samiddhi was a co-resident pupil (saddhivihārika) of Sāriputta, and the Aṅguttaranikāya (A.iv.385 f) contains a record of a lesson given by Sāriputta to Samiddhi regarding the application of thought (saṅkappa vitakka). See also the Samiddhi Jātaka and the Samiddhi Sutta (2).

2. Samiddhi.– See Samiddhisumana.

3. Samiddhi.– A brahmin of Sāvatthi, father of Punnamāsa Thera. ThagA.i.53.

4. Samiddhi.– A brahmin of Nālaka, father of Mahā-Gavaccha Thera. ThagA.i.57.